Scared?
by Ishap
Summary: Post season 7. All dialogue.
1. Chapter 1

"I kind of have these things I want to say, but, I'm not sure how to say them."

"That's not like you. Not that you're eloquent mind you..."

"Hey!"

"...but you usually bull your way through it despite everything, occasionally resorting to bizarre metaphors and invented words granted..."

"I'll give you the metaphor thing, I can never seem to make them work, but I don't make up words, and if I do, they were words that needed to be invented. You know what that makes me? A linguistic pioneer."

"I see. Well, pioneering aside, what's on your mind? The safety of the world? The fate of the last piece of coconut cream pie? If it's the latter, I can tell you that I found the pie a good home."

"You ate my piece of pie?! But I saved it..."

"_Such_ a mistake."

"...Well I ate Willow's pizza for breakfast this morning so I guess I have no high ground from which to properly look down on you."

"You might want to be careful about that, Willow's not used to this sort of stuff. It has something to do with the way she was raised; all orderly and stuff, its left her at a disadvantage in this group living situation... she's reaching the end of her tether. Yesterday she threatened to turn one of the new watchers into a fig tree because he ate the last danish.

"Xander..."

"Not to worry Buffy, my lips are sealed. As much as the backyard could use the shade, Willow would eventually feel guilty, and then she would blame me for not stopping her and/or telling her in the first place. And well... I'm not ready to put down roots just yet."

"Ba-dump bump."

"Everyone's a critic."

"As to your question, asked, it seems so long ago now...; I wanted to ask you to dinner."

"Sure Buff, I think Kenedy's cooking tonight and avoiding food cooked by slayers has become like a sport for me. It's a surprisingly difficult sport too. One of the younger slayers; you know Melanie? Well she's a baker, or thinks she can bake or something. Anyway I don't think she would have any problem with shoving baked 'goods' down people's throats if she couldn't find 'willing' volunteers. I don't know if you've tried her 'food' but if you haven't, do what you can to remain the innocent. That stuff will change your world for the worse. I think Willow will probably have to stay for Kennedy's dinner, but I'll get Giles and faith and we can head out."

"Uh, I said the difficult thing I needed to say and now you've made it all difficult again."

"You've been avoiding slayer food too. I noticed that you 'had a headache' when Rona made that so-called chili. Really good call on avoiding that by the way. I didn't really think that it was possible to hurt a basic chili but...well any description is not gonna do it."

"Yeah, what was in that? I didn't taste it but I could smell a weird burning all the way up in my room."

"She thought 'dry-scorching' the spices would 'bring out their flavors'."

"Dry-scorching?"

"She put the spices in a frying pan on high until they started to smoke a little, and then smoke a lot. She swears she saw it on a cooking show, but I think it's just slayer instincts coming into play: if you can't stake it, burn it."

"That certainly explains the weird smell. Although I think you're being to hard on them, they're quite young and they have all kinds of training to do. They don't have a lot of time to learn to cook."

"No, I agree; we need a cook, or people with some cooking experience should take over and we can adjust the other chores to allow for it. Oh, and we shackle Melanie up in the basement."

"Nice."

"Let the punishment fit the crime."

"When I asked you to dinner, I meant just us."

"Me, you and Giles? I know you and Faith still have... issues but I don't know if I feel good leaving her to Kennedy's tender mercies. Faith, at least, has had the decency not to try her hand at the stove."

"Okay, third time's the charm. I'm asking you out to dinner on a date. So, in this case, the date part is more important than the dinner part. So, I ask you out; you say yes. The date goes really well, and we kiss at the end of it. It's a good kiss; tender but with heat to it. Eventually, we give in to passion and make love. It's so beautiful that we know right away that we're meant to be together forever. We get married and have kids. We make a life for each other... are you scared?"

"I'm never scared when I know I should be. It's one of my more pronounced character flaws."


	2. Chapter 2

"Buffy, do you have a minute?"

"For you Willow? I have five, but no more than five; if I leave Faith alone with the newbies for too long, they start to imitate her. It has happened a few times so far, and today, I think I could do without some thirteen year old trying to get my attention by calling me a "bitch yo" with a horribly executed Boston accent. Oh, and she's spreading that nickname of hers; everyone here is calling me 'B', it's getting old. More importantly its getting to the point where derivative nicknames will start popping up. Like 'B cool' and 'always B prepared' which will lead into 'Ms. Girlscout' and... well I can't think of what would come after that, but it won't be anything good."

"What nickname do you want? You have quite a selection to choose from: I think the most popular with the men is 'Sexy Slayer Summers'. You could have it embroidered on all of your favorite shirts."

"You know, you're using up your five minutes."

"Too true. I...uh... wanted to ask you...um.. what's going on with you and Xander?...Cause I heard something about a date and that didn't seem like it was something that I wouldn't have known about. But... well we haven't been as closely knit as before...I've been doing my thing...you've been doing yours. I haven't even seen Xander in a week or so."

"Uh, yeah the date thing...we've been doing that. Yes. It's only been a few days or so, so technically its like I'm telling you almost, but not quite, right as soon as it happened...ish."

"Yeah, I think I'm only the fiftieth person to know or so."

"Well...when you consider how many people there actually are worldwide...fiftieth is high. Like if you were the fiftieth smartest person in the world you'd be really, really smart. So you're like...right up there...in the knowing about the Xander-dating thing. Almost at the top even."

"I know you're trying to make me laugh and normally, yeah...that probably would have done it...it's just that this hurts you know? That neither of you told me, and i got to hear it from one of the new watchers: you know the one with the annoying laugh? I don't know his name...but he is now _really_ scared of me. He was a little bit before because of a danish-eating thing, but now..."

"I know Willow, but I just couldn't...when I decided I was going to ask him out, it felt good, really good. Because I'd been feeling this thing; you know the thing?"

"I seem to remember something..."

"But I couldn't feel it and not do anything about it anymore or I would explode. Literally. Like Buffy-bits everywhere. Then there was the worrying about what he would say. Did he feel the thing? He did before but maybe it was too late...I was all angsty. Honestly at that point I was going to talk to you. I really was. But a part of me was worried that you might convince me not to say anything. Some of me wanted to not do anything, maybe a lot of me. Because what if it didn't work...,if it didn't work... What if it doesn't work? What if it doesn't work Willow? I mean we've kissed and that was...great...really good. But if we don't work out...I might lose him as my friend...damn it Buffy! Always shut up! Saying stuff never works."

"I'm sorry Buffy. Calm down. Everything will be fine. I was being selfish...calm down. Xander's a good guy. One of the best. Even if you don't work out... and I'm not saying that you won't...he'll always be your friend. You're looking at living proof."

"...You're right! Thank you so much! He loves you, and you nearly killed us all!"

"...No problem, I'm glad I could cheer you up."

"Oh, sorry Wills, I was just excited because that leaves me a lot of latitude."

"I'm happy for you. Buffy... you might not want to look at that wall too closely."

"I'm hallucinating."

"I'm afraid not."

"Big Bad Buffy?"

"Alliteration; impressive. And the drawing has a lot of movement to it. I've been skeptical before but graffiti really is an art form."

"A stick figure crushing poorly drawn buildings with her giant feet? Art? Anyway, my feet aren't giant, and neither am I. I'm dainty."

"Those fleeing villagers don't seem to think so."


	3. Chapter 3

"Studying up on the old Zhinz codex huh?"

"...Willow...yes, there's a passage I've been trying to decipher for quite some time...and I think I'm finally making some progress...it must be because its so peaceful here in the library...for a change."

"...Yeah, I think it's the sign on the door: 'Stay Out, or I will do horrible things to you.'...menacing and yet vague. It should keep away the riff-raff."

"One would think."

"Pardon?"

"What can I help you with Willow?"

"Have you seen Xander?"

"I saw him about two hours ago. We were having our lesson."

"...I'm sorry, did you say lesson? In what?"

"I've been teaching him some basic magic; common dispels, living flame, sensing. Things of that nature."

"That rat-bastard!! First Buffy and now _this?_! He's forgotten that I know where all the bodies are buried."

"Bodies?...Willow what's wrong?"

"Nothing Giles. Only that my best friends want nothing to do with me anymore."

"...What _about_ Buffy?"

"Great. I knew before Giles. Woo-hoo. That's like knowing before the mailman."

"Knowing what exactly?"

"Buffy and Xander are dating."

"Each other?"

"Uh-huh."

"And you're upset because... you wanted Buffy for yourself?"

"No!"

"Xan...?"

"No!!"

"Then wh...?"

"Neither of them told me about it. Everyone in the house knew before I did! Even what's-his-face-the-almost-tree."

"What's-his-face-the...?"

"And I talk to Buffy about it, and she feels guilty. I get it. I really do, but it hurts you know?"

"I thin..."

"And now you're teaching _my_ Xander magic? Stab me in the heart why don't you? Here, I'll turn around so the metaphor is perfect."

"Wil..."

"Why not me? I'm only one of the most powerful witches...like..._ever_. But no...he goes to you. Be prepared, Buffy will probably come to you about relationship problems next."

"You'v..."

"Yes, I've been busy. But I've still got time for my friends! Like you, Giles, you're my friend. What can I do for you?"

"Get out."

"Giles!"

"Yes, I'm sorry, that was rude of me. I haven't spoken a complete phrase for a while; I was out of practice."

"...Point taken, I appologize... .Well, what do you have to say for yourself?"

"About what? I've lost track."

"The magic!"

"The lessons? Xander came to me to ask what sorts of spells would be useful to know as a watcher. One thing led to another and I agreed to teach him."

"Ah-Ha! Only adulterers use the phrase 'one thing led to another'; it's in the manual."

"Adultery? I'm teaching him magic."

"It's practically the same thing! The deep meditations, strong, emotional and intimate..."

"No! No, no. There's nothing like that happening. I'm making sure he knows the incantations, ingredients and so forth...I gave him books for the rest of it."

"Books? It's like he's cheating on me with someone who doesn't even know how to f..."

"Willow! I want to help. I do, but it's clear you won't be helped today."

"There's nothing wrong with _me_."

"Of course not dear. The bodies you were referring to earlier?...Metaphorical, yes?"

"For the most part."


End file.
